Relief-valve for cotton-elevators.



M. v. McDONAL D.

RELIEF VALVE FOR COTTON ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION HLED Mn. 11. ms.

1 1 97,5 1 5 latuntvd Soph 5, 1916.

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UNITED sTA'rns PATENT OFFICE.

MARVIN VESTEB MCDONALD, 01 DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO LUMMUS COTTON GIN COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, A CORPORATION OF GEORGIA.

RELIEF-VALVE FOB COTTON-ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARVIN Vnsrnn Mc- DONALD, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relief- Valves for Cotton-Elevatorsand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cotton elevators, which term is here used to include the elevator and conveyer for transferring cotton from the wagon to the gin feeder; and has for an object to rovide a valve in a pneumatic elevator a apted to assist in the relieving of the vacuum whereby the cotton is quickly and positively dropped. from the screen to the feeder.

A. further object of the invention is. to provide in the run of pipe communicating with the telescope a valve actuated in such manner as to cause the valve to open when the tension between the air within and without the elevator is partially equalized by the opening of the trip valve or otherwise, and to be closed by the external ressure of the air when the vacuum within the pipe is again increased by opening communication with the exhaust fan.

It is well known that in a long run of pipe forming the horizontal conveying portion of the cotton elevator passing over a number of gins, the vacuum is not so readily relieved in the usual manner as to cause the cotton to drop into the chutes with sufficient promptness. In the present instance the invention comprises a valve located directly in the pipe, which, when opened, exposes the entire area of the cotton-carrying nine to the atmospheric air, thereby almost instantaneously equalizing the pressure within and without so that the cotton drops readily.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a conventional neumatic cotton elevator, conveyer and fee er, showing one embodiment of the invention positioned thereon in one of many approved positions. Fig. 2 is a. top plan view of a fragment ofthe horizontal conveyer, showing the invention similarly mounted thereon. Fig. 3 is a. view of the preferred form of valve in enlarged detail, seen in end elevation. Fig. 4. is an enlar ed detailed sectional view of the valve t en on line 4-'l of Fig. 3. 1

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The improved valve which forms the subject-matter of this application is adapted to be associated with a pneumatic cotton ele- "ator and eonveyer of the usual and ordinary type, comprising a cotton-conveying pipe 10 and an air pipe 11, the latter communicating with the exhaust fan 12 and having means for interrupting the flow of air to the fan, as the trip valve 13, whereby the exhaust. from the fan is cut off and in some installations the atmos heric air admitted. The arts just descri ed. are of the usual and ordinary type, and where they pass over; the feeders 14;, the pipes 10 and 11 are side by side as indicated at Fig. 2. After passing over all of the feeders the pipe 10 terminates at 15, the portion extending beyond the extreme feeder being normally dead. In the type of installation shown and at this point the relief valve forming the subject-matter of the present invention is preferably, although not necessarily, located. This is produced in any approved manner as by inserting within the end of the pipe 10 a sleeve or boss 16. To the sleeve 16 a cover member or valve proper 17 is hinged as at 18 and provided with means tending to open the same as the arm 19 rigidly secured thereto with a spring 20 connected to the arm and to the sleeve 16 at its lower side.

It will be noted, especially from Fig. 4. that the tension of the spring tends to throw the valve open to dotted line position in that ii ure. While a spring is the most upprove means and the one usually employed. it is obvious that several mechanical equivalents may be substituted therefor.

As shown in full lines in Fig. 4, the valve is in operative position or the position it assumes when the pipe 10 is under exhaust from the pipe 11 and fan 12. \Vhen, however, communication with the fan 12 is interrupted and air admitted to the pipe 11 in any usual manner, it relieves the rarefaction at the back of the valve 17. The spring 20 then throws the valve open, admitting atmospheric air to the full area of the pi e 10 and directly into such pipe, whereby the entire length of such pipe is very quickly relieved from the vacuum. When exhaust is again applied to the pipe 11 by opening communication with the fan 12 the air to sup ly such exhaust passin about the open va ve 17 closes it against the tension of the spring 20, the atmospheric air holding it in such closed position, whereby the entire pipe 10 is properly placed under exhaust to elevate more cotton in the usual and ordinary manner. It will thus be seen that the valve 17 automatically opens and closes incident upon the inequality of the internal and external atmospheric pressure to actuate such valve against the tension of its spring.

While the construction shown is a desirable arrangement of parts, it is to be understood that the exact arrangement must depend upon the particular installation and he placed to do the most effective service.

I claim 1. The combination with a pneumatic cotton elevator embodying adjacent and communicating air pipes and cotton pipes, the latter communicating with an exhaust pum of a valve located in the pipe, means tending to open the valve against predetermined atmospheric pressure but to be Copies closed when the atmospheric pressure within the pipe is decreased beyond such predetermined point, and means to cut off communication with the pump.

2. The combination with a pneumatic cotton elevator, including communicating cotton and air pipes, an exhaust pump connected to said air pipe, a manually operated valve in the air pipe intermediate the pump and the point where said pipe communicates with the cotton pipe, a valve arranged in the cotton pipe at a point beyond where said pi e communicates with the air pipe, means or normally holding said valve open, said valve being maintained closed when the air pump is in operation.

3. The combination with the pneumatic cotton elevator including connnunieating cotton and air pipes, an exhaust pump connected to said air pipe, a manually operated valve in the air pipe intermediate the pum and the point where said pump communicates with the cotton pipe, said cotton pipe extending beyond its point of communication'with the air pipe, a flap valve constituting the closure for the end of said cotton pipe, an arm mounted on said llap valve. a spring connecting said arm with the pipe to normally maintain the valve open. said valve being held in closed position when the exhaust pump is in operation.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

MARVIN VESTER MCDONALD.

by nddrening the "Commissioner of Patents.

wllhington, D. O." 

